Museums & Galleries · County Durham
The Bowes Museum
📍 DL12 8NP
Photo: Alden Chadwick (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
- Impressionist masterpieces exhibition from Le Havre museum
- Exhibition of Norman Cornish sketchbooks, drawings and paintings
- Family activities during October half term
- Evening after-hours event, Bowes Lates
- Winter Market with artists, designers and food stalls
The Bowes Museum is an art gallery in the town of Barnard Castle, in County Durham in northern England. It was built to designs by Jules Pellechet and John Edward Watson to house the art collection of John Bowes and his wife Joséphine Benoîte Coffin-Chevallier, and opened in 1892. — Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Practical details
- Open
- 10am to 5pm daily
- Best for
- Families, with dedicated activities and events
From the attraction's own website on 18 Oct 2026 — check before you travel.
Facilities
- ✓ Gift Shop
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Make a proper break of it — these stays are all within 25 miles.
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Chapel Court Apartment
Barnard Castle, North East England
Sleeps 2
£503 per break
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0.3 mi
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🎪 What's on near The Bowes Museum
Events from
Skiddle
Fri 13 Nov · 19:30
Hilarity Bites Comedy Club ft. Bethany Black & Jack Gleadow
Shildon Railway Institute, Shildon · 12.3 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Sat 14 Nov · 19:00
Tess Tickle & the Dragettes Xmas Show Extravaganza
Club Louis, Catterick Garrison · 14.2 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Sat 14 Nov · 19:00
Curry Night 14/11 - Buzz Bingo Darlington
Buzz Bingo Darlington, Darlington · 14.4 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Sun 15 Nov · 12:00
Early Christmas At Redworth
Redworth Hall, Redworth · 12.2 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
🗓️ Make a break of it
Turn a visit to The Bowes Museum into a proper getaway — ready-made plans, and the drive worked out with fuel, EV charging and the best stops.
A weekend in County Durham: an accessible itinerary →
A weekend in County Durham with the kids →
A weekend in County Durham →
🗺️ Plan the drive to The Bowes Museum
🚆 Or come by train
- Bishop Auckland 12.4 miles
- Shildon 12.6 miles
- Heighington 13.9 miles
Straight-line distances · live departures on each station page